Genaina, West Darfur State (Sudanow) - The Conference on Security and Development of Border Areas between the Sudan and Chad on Wednesday concluded session in the town of Genaina, capital of West Darfur State, and issued its final recommendations and communique.

The communique pointed out that the meeting took place in Genaina, capital of West Darfur State, in the period 24-25 April 2018. The communique expressed the full conviction of the governments in the two countries that peace and security and development in the borderline states constitute a vital factor in achieving prosperity and peaceful coexistence among their people in general and the populations of the borderline areas in particular.

It explained that the event saw a wide participation from members of the governments in the two countries, as well as military, police and security leadership beside leaders from the joint Sudanese Chadian forces, the civil society and native administration leadership.

The communique said the opening session of the conference was addressed by his Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of the Sudan, Hassabou Mohamed Abdul Rahaman and by the Chad Prime Minister his Excellency Albert Pahimi Padacké.

It further said the final session was honored by the presence of President Omar Bashir of the Sudan and President Idris Debby Itno of Chad.

The communique said the conference discussed numerous issues including those related to military, security, economy, trade, investment, society and culture, information, youth, sports and other agriculture and transportation questions.

The two presidents, it said, were briefed about the results and resolution of the conference and they decided to adopt the following general recommendations:-

On the security and military axis they stressed on reinforcement of the joint military forces and providing them with logistics and expanding the branches of their work along the joint border with Central African Republic.

They underlined the need to boost the justice, police and customs forces on the joint border via formation of joint specialized committees to combat terrorism, organized crimes and all types of illegal trade including poaching.

The two sides highlighted the need to educate local communities along the joint borderlines on the importance of collecting unlicensed firearms and its reflection on achieving peace and security.

They said it was imperative to put in place a joint mechanism that shall remedy any rising differences between nomads and farmers and the prerequisite of involving the native administration in the process.

The communique said local authorities’ role should be boosted to help enlighten the local communities along the borderlines-youth and women in particular- on the hazard of the illegal dealing in firearms, drugs and hallucination material beside the cross border crimes.

They also underlined the need to hold regular conference on joint security in the town of Abache and that of Genaina alternately to discuss and boost cross border cooperation. They added that it was also necessary to draw a joint strategy for briefing the local communities, the regional and the international communities on the activities shouldered by the Sudanese Chadian joint forces.

The recommendations also called for revision of the agreement on exchange of criminal elements, as signed between the two countries in November 25th 1964.

The conferees, the recommendations said, also called for increasing the number of the Sudanese joint police force as well as involving the Chadian police forces within the joint forces to help combat organized and cross border crimes.

The conferees have also underline that it was imperative to complete the demarcation of the joint borders and marking the border signs clearly by the joint technical committee.

They called for the establishment a joint fund for the development and progress of the border areas between the two countries.

They are agreed that the joint armed forces are responsible for fighting and chasing unruly elements and that the regular forces in the two countries shall help and provide assistance for the joint forces and that ethnically based hunt-out groups shall not be encouraged.

They called for holding a joint peaceful coexistence between local communities along the joint borders, involving the native administration leaders, and under the patronage of the Ministries of interior in the two countries.

They commended the joint forces role in security of the joint borderers and recommended that every possible assistance be made at the disposal of these forces so that they would carry out their mission in the required manner.

They urged for maximizing the role of the native administration in resolving and settlement of conflicts, through enlightenment of youth about the hazard of terrorism and of joining armed group.

They added that more attention be provided for the training of privates and officers in the joint border forces from both Chad and the Sudan.

On the economic, trade and investment axis the two sides agreed to:

Follow implementation of the resolutions issued by the president of the republic, which are related to the facilitating of crossing of commodities heading for Chad, based on the stipulations of the presidential decree number 526/2015, dated October 9th 2015.

They called for reinvigoration of the border trade protocol and of forming joint assessment, financing, implementation and follow up committee while at the same time opening branches for the commercial banks to help fund and ease bank transfer across the Border States.

Completion of the land roads linking the two countries.

They said it was also vital to work for completion of the railway links between the Sudan and Chad.

The recommendations stressed that it was imperative to fight smuggling in all its forms and shapes.

The recommendations called for speed implementation of the Genaina and Adre free market zones in a way that would reflect the borderline nature of the area and that the two sides be enabled to achieve the objectives related to protection of consumers and paying attention to standards and metrology in dealing with goods and commodities.

The recommendations have further urged for revitalization of the customs and border crossing areas and the smuggling control points while at the same time the two sides should work to exchange expertise.

They called for paying more attention to animal wealth and for establishment of markets in the border areas and creating a mechanism to monitor those markets and for opening up new crossing points in Tina and Um Garas towns.

The economic recommendations called for implementation of economic cooperation agreements ratified by the two countries and for preparing yet more economic cooperation agreements between the Sudan and Chad and for facilitation of people movement along the borderline areas.

The recommendations called for the establishment of a joint unit for vegetable and fruits production to be manned by women in the borderline areas.

The economic recommendations called for the establishment of water projects along the nomads’ passageways. They also said the Hajj routes for Chadian pilgrims to the Muslim Holy places be reopened and revived.

They also called for encouraging and developing local communities’initiatives for economic activities, help establish economic partnership and create a mechanism to monitor any illegal activities in the roads linking the two areas. And that it was imperative to establish a joint mechanism for the implementation of the recommendations and agreements signed by the two countries.

On the social, cultural and sports axis the conferees have recommended that more attention be devoted to the disabled persons and people with special needs including more attention be given to widows, poor and elderly people.

They added that Sudan and Chad should exchange expertise in agriculture, human development and economic fields and that they should work for the settlement of the nomads in the border areas and provision of basic services such as education, health, and social services to the children of the nomads.

On education the conferees stressed the need for exchange of higher education and scientific research expertise and for boosting efforts seeking to resettle refugees in their home areas and villages.

They called for combating drugs and negative practices while at the same time renovating the cooperation agreements in the higher education and general education between the two ministries in the Sudan and in Chad.

The conferees have called for establishment of joint service mechanisms that would be provided by the Joint Border Forces.

The recommendations urged for renewal of the protocol on the establishment of joint TV channel to boost the cultural, social and media cooperation between the two sides.

They also encouraged the provision of study grants to Sudanese and Chadian nationals in each country for the students hailing from the other country.

They also said it was imperative to pay much more attention to the issues of current though and ideologies and to stand up against ideological deviation and violent extremism.

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MO/AS

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